Explosive-engine.



C. E. MEAD.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AP11.28. 1911.

gvwcmtoz @110 KM Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

attomaqi C. E. MEAD.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-28, 1911.

Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

3 $HEETS-SHEET 2 61 Hanna C. E. MEAD.

EXPLOSSVE ENGiNE.

APPLICATION FILED APfi.28, 191:.

1,154,647. Patentedfiept 28, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

. UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.-

ovens E- MEAD, or

DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORTO THE MEAD ENGINE COMPANY, 01? DAYTON, OHIO; A CORPORATION or OHIO. v

nxPLosIvE-ENeINn.

To all {whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CYRUS E. MEAD, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Dayton,

in thecounty of, Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawing.

This] invention relates to explosive englnes and 1s 1n the nature of an improvement upon the engine shown and described in Patent No. 9212M, granted to me May 11, 1909.

' Theobject of the invention'is to provide an engine of the'type shown in that patent of a simplified construction,"embodying a minimum number of moving parts and having these parts of such a character and so arranged that there will be little liability of their becomingdisarranged or broken.

To this end .it is a further object of the invention to form the valve chambers or longitudinal bores Wholly within the body portion of the engine casting; to provide removable conduits communicating with the Ends of theouter ports of these valve chambers; to provide a simplified connection. between theengine shaft and the rotary valves; and

also to provide simplified means for adjusting the valves to regulate the angular relation of the corresponding ports of the two valves. 1

It is.al' so an object of the invention to pro- 5 vide meansfor lubricating the rotary valves.

Inthe accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of an engine embodying my invention with thecap of the gear housing.;rem ov ed; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectlonal view taken; transversely of the engine and The crankshaft is inclosed in acrank cas- V embodiment .of my invention' an d' have show-ngthe same as comprising ahody p01" tionor castingl, in which are for'niedfa pluralityrof cylinders, 7 four, as indicated at 2. cylinder istbe usual pistoniS connected byin the present instance,

a piston, rod 4' witha crank shaft 5 mounted beneath the cylinders and arranged longitlr' dinally to the engine in the usual manner ing 6 extending from the lower ends of the Specification of Letters Patent.

' inafter described.

Mounted in each I Patented Sept.2 8,1 915. Application filed April 28, 1911; Serial No. 623,846. H: 4

cylinders completely about theshaftandof I a size large enough to allow for the movements of thecranks. preferably provided with adepressed portion 7 to form a receptacle, as willbe here The upper part of the body portion or casting l is preferably enlargedto provide The crank casing is lateral projections extending longitudinally to the engine on each side thereof and hav-.

ing formed therein longitudinalibores. 8 ex tending for substantially the full length of, the engine andconstituting valve chambers.

Eachvalvc chamber or bore'8,hasalong its inner side a series of portsIS corresponding in number to the numberof thecylinders 2 f. and placlng each valve chamber incoimnu-i nication wlth the respective cylinders.-

Each valve chamber is also provided along its outer side with a corresponding series of,

ports 10 extending through the outer per.-

tion of the casting 1 and communicating with inlet and exhaust Iconduits, respec- I tively. These ports may be placedin communication with the conduits in any desired manner but, in the presentgins'tance, I have shown elongated hollow caps llisecured to the sides of the casting, inclosing the outer ends of the several ports 1O in the respective sides thereof and connected with .inl'et and exhaust pipes 12' and 13, respectively An'y suitable means may be employed for rigidly securing the caps 11 to the'castingpbut, as

here shown, I have providedeac'h'side'of the casting with a plurality of bolts 14, the in ner ends ofxwhichare rigidly mounted in the casting itself and which extend outward through the adjacent portions of the r'espec tive caps 11. Clamping bars 15 are mounted on the bolts 14 and have laterally extending arms adapted to engage lugs 16" arranged on the caps 'on opposite sides of the respec tive bolts 14. The outer ends of the clamping bars 15 are provided with inwardlyex tending rounded'projecti'ons 17 ad'apted to engage theprojecti'ons 16' of the cap, thereby making the ela'mpingjbars self centering,

Nuts on the ends of thebolts clamp the parts togetherLfl p :7 Mounted in each of the?valve-;chambers 8 is a rotary plug valve 18=-of1a.:length;sub-1.; stantiallyequal'to-the length of the-valve through ports corresponding. in number to the number of cylinde'rs' in theeas'tingl.

' chamber and having a series of through'and' r each valve member has at its forward enda rcdjlced portion 1.9 on which is mounted a gear 20. These gears mesh with a worm 21 arranged between them and mounted on a vertical shaft 22 which is journaled in bearings 23 on the engine and the lower end lot which is connected by suitable gearing 24 with the shaft Any suitable means may be provided for adjusting the valves relatively one to the other to regulate the angular relation of the corresponding ports therein. In the present instance the reduced portions 19 of the valves are tapered and the gears 20 are clamped tightly thereon. by nuts 2i and are further held in their ad justed positions by means of set screws 25. By'loosening the pinion the valve can be adjusted to the desired position, and, when the pinion is again'secured thereto, the valve will be maintained in its adjusted relation to the other valve. This form of adjustment is a. very simple one and is highly efficient in practice. The gears 20 and 21 are preferably entirely inclosed in a. housing, which, as constructed in the present engine, comprises a flange 26 detachably secured to the adjacent end of the engine. Preferably this housing or flange is shaped to conform to the contour of the corresponding portion of the body portion or casting 1 of the en gine and is secured thereto by bolts 27 extending through the same and into the casting 1. The width of the flange is suilicient to entir-ely inclose the gears and a cap 28 is provided for inclosing the outer end of the housing and may be secured thereto in any'suitable manner, as by means of screws 29, Thevertical shaft 22- is also utilized for driving a pump 30, which. is connected with the water cooling system of the engine, and a magneto 31. Both of these devices are mounted upon'the base of the engine, indicated at and are directly connected to a transverse shaft 33 mounted in a transverse.

bearing 3lcarried by the engine base 32 and connected with the vertical shaft 22 by a worm and worm wheel gearing 35. I have also provided means for lubricating the rotary valves 18, and, as here shown, this means consists of an oil distributer 36 arranged along each s de of the casting 1 and communicating with the respective valve chambers at intervals by means of feeders or conduits 37. If desired the valve members may be provided with annular grooves adjacent to the conduits 37 to receive the oil and facilitate the distribution thereof.

In the present. engine I have. provided the exhaust valve with these annular grooves, as indicated. at 38, but have omitted them from the inlet valve, this valve being less likely to heat and requiring less lubrication than the exhaust valve. The distrilnitors 36 are connected with a pump 39 which is actuated from the-engine shaft As here shown this pump has it: intake end arranged near the bottom of the oil receptacle 7 and comprises a horizontal cylinder and a plunger, the rod of which is indicated at 4:0 and is connected to the lower end of a rock arm 41:1, the upper end of which is bifurcated. to form a yoke having arms embracing a cam 43 carried by the shaft 5, whereby each rotation of the shaft 5 will impart one re: ciprocation to the plunger of the pump. This pump is connected by a main 4% with a distributing pipe 45 having a series of dis charge openings 16, by means of which the oil is spurted upon the wrist pins which connect the rods 4 with the cranks of the shaft 5. The main 4.4 is connected by means of pipes at? and 48 with the distributors 36. A branch pipe 49 leads to the rear bearing for the crank shaft.

From the foregoing description. and the accompanying drawings it will be apparent that I have provided an explosive engine utilizing solid rotary valves having through and through ports which register with the ports in the valve chambers; that these ro vtary valves are actuated through gearing which is entirely inclosed in a housing and is, in turn, actuated from the engine shaft. Consequently, the valves and their operating mechanism have no exposed movable parts and the engine as a whole is of a very compact construction comprising a minimum number of moving parts. By forming the valve chambers entirely within the body of the engine cast-ingand pro iding detachaliilc conduits to connect the same to the inlet and exhaust. pipes, respectively. I am enabled to practically eliminate leakage and to maintain a uniform bearing for the valves whichcannot be done where the valve chamber is in two parts and these parts are bolted together. It will also be apparent that I have provided. a very simple yet adequate means for lubricating the valves.

lVhile I have here shown and described one embodiment of the invention it wil be understood that this embodiment is chosen for the purpose of illustration only and that I do not wish to be limited to the details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to securev by l icttcrs Patent, is

'1. In an explosive engine, the combinai'icn, with a body portion having a cylinder and provided with valve, chambers, and a P0 7 00I1Hectingieach r chamber with the -c vlinder, of a rotary inlet-'valve having :a

thro'iig'hk andthrnnglr .port and mounted in one of said chambers, a rotary exhaustvaive also having a through and through port and mounted in the other ol -said: chambers, a rotative device mounted on each valve, and a shaft rotatively connected with the engine shaft, extending between said rotative devices on the valve and connected therewith to rotate said valves.

2. In an explosive engine, the combination, with a body portion having a cylinder and provided with valve chambers, and a port connecting each chamber with the cylinder, of a rotary inlet valve having a through-and-through port and mounted in one of said chambers, a rotary exhaust valve also having a through-and-through port and mounted in the other of said chambers, a gear on each valve, and a shaft having one end extending between said gears and carrying a gear which meshes with each of said valve gears.

3. In an explosive engine, a body portion having a cylinder and provided with valve chambers arranged on opposite sides of and communicating with said cylinder, a rotary plug valve mounted in each of said valve chambers to control the communication be tween thesame and said cylinder and having parts projecting beyond the end of said body,

portion, a gear mounted on the projecting art of each of said valves, a gear arranged )etween and meshing with the first-men tioned gears, and a housing secured to said engine and inclosing said gears.

4. In an explosive'engine, a body portion having a cylinder and provided with valve chainbers arranged on opposite sides of and communicating with said cylinder, a rotary plug valve mounted in each of said valve chambers to control the communication be tween the same and said cylinder and having parts projecting beyond the end of said body portion, a gear mounted on the project ing part of each of said valves, a gear ar ranged between and meshing with the firstmentioned gears. said body portion having a longitudinally projecting iang-e extending about said gears, a cap, and. means for securing said cap to the outer end of said- 5. In an explosive engine, the combination. with a body portion having a cylinder and provided with valve chambers communicating with said cylinder. and a rotary valve mounted in each of said chambers, of rotative devices connected with the respective valves, and a shaft rotatively connected with the engine shaft. extending between said rotative devices and connected there- With-to rotate said valves.

(3. In an explosive engine, the combinai i on, witlr-a' body portion h'a viuga cylinder valve mounted in 'each of said chambers, of

of said valve gears.

7. In an explosive engine, the combination, with a body portion having a cylinder and provided with valve chambers communicating with said cylinder. and a rotary valve mounted in each of said chambers, and having a part projecting beyond. the end of. said chamber, of worm gears secured to the ends of the respecti e shafts, a vertical shaft mounted on the end of said engine, a worm mounted on said shaft, arranged between said worm gears and neshing therewith, an engine shaft. and a connection between said engine shaft and said vertical shaft.

8. In an explosive engine. the combina tion, with a. body portion having a cylinder and provided with valve chambers communicating with said cylinder. and a rotary valve mounted in each of said chambers and having a part projecting beyond the end of said chamber. of worm gears adjustably mounted on the projecting ends of said valves, a worm arranged between and meshing with said worm gears, and means for rotating said worm.

In an explosive engine, the combination, with a body portion having a cylinder and provided with valve chambers communicating with said cylinder, and a rotary valve mounted in each of said chambers and having a part projecting beyond the end of said 0 iamber, .of a gear mounted on the projecting end of each of said valves, a second gear arranged between and meshing with the first-mentioned gears, and a housing secured to said body portion and inclosing said gears.

10. In an explosive engine, the combina tion, with a body portion having a cylinder and provided with valve chambers communicating with said cylinder. and a rotary valve mounted in each of said chambers and having a part projecting beyond the end of said chamber, of a gear mounted on the projecting end of each of said valves, a second gear arranged between and meshing with the first-mentioned gears, said body portion having a longitudinally projecting flange extending about said gears, a cap, and means for securing said cap to the outer edge of said flange.

11. In an explosive engine, the combination, with a body portion having a cylinder and provided with valve chambers communicating with said cylinder, and a rotary valve mounted in each of said chambers and having a part projecting beyond the end of said chamber, of a gear mounted on the probeneath said body portion and conncctu jecting end of each of said valves, a second with said vertical shaft. 1o gear arranged between and meshing with In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature the first-mentioned gems, a housing secured in presence of two witnesses.

to said body and inclosing said gears, a ver- CYRUS E. MEAD.

tieal shaft rotatabiy mounted on the end of Witnesses: i said body portion and carrying said last- J. EDWARD SAUER, mentioned gear, and a crank shaft arranged G. E. DECKER 

